Guest editorial: Special issue on data mining for information security

Computer and communication systems are subject to repeated security attacks. Given the variety of new vulnerabilities discovered every day, the introduction of new attack schemes, and the ever-expanding use of the Internet, it is not surprising that the field of computer and network security has grown and evolved significantly in recent years. Attacks are so pervasive nowadays that many firms, especially large financial institutions, spend over 10% of their total information and communication technology budget directly on computer and network security. Changes in the type of attacks, such as the use of botnets and the identification of new vulnerabilities, have resulted in a highly dynamic threat landscape that is unamenable to traditional security approaches.